If you’re in a situation when you don’t know where the surface of the water is and you’re submerged, let out some bubbles of air and watch where they go. The bubbles will go up anyway and all you’ll have to do is follow them.

Getting stuck with your car in the middle of nowhere

If you have no way to send signals, you can actually use a tire from your car’s spare wheel. The smoke of the rubber will be seen several miles away and someone will definitely notice it. What you should never do is walk far away from the car looking for help. Very often, the car is found first and then the driver who died is found several miles away from it.

Oil burning on the stove

It’s best not to leave frying pans or deep fryers on the fire unattended. But if a fire already started, don’t try to put it out with water: it will only make the fire stronger. It’s better to put baking soda on it or cover the fire with a lid which will cut the supply of oxygen.

Identifying a drowning person

Drowning people don’t usually look like they’re in trouble. They don’t scream for help and don’t make noises attracting everyone’s attention. If someone is truly drowning, they are usually so exhausted that they can’t scream and when their head appears above the surface, all they have enough time for is to get enough air to breathe, not to scream. Usually, the head is tilted back and they keep going underwater again and again. If their hair is long, it is usually on their face, their eyes aren’t focused, and their motions are slow and jerky.

The rule of CPR

If you have to perform CPR and the person isn’t coming to, you shouldn’t stop doing it until the ambulance arrives. In this case, the person will have zero chance of survival if the brain has no oxygen. Often, the point of CPR is not to get a person back to life but to preserve the brain before professionals arrive.

The necessary minimum of physical power

Every person should be able to do at least 1 pull-up. You may be in any dangerous situation, hanging off a cliff, or falling out of a boat. This is an absolute minimum of physical power. The popular misconception is that in this situation, adrenaline will help you and increase your power. But adrenaline is not that helpful. If a person can’t do 1 pull-up in real life, there is almost no chance they will be able to do it in a critical situation.

Calling an ambulance or the police

The first thing you have to tell the operator is your location, not the reason why you’re calling. If the situation will make you stop the conversation, it’s better for the operator to know the location over anything else. They will then send someone to the place to check things out. If they only know the reason for the call but not the location, they won’t be able to help.

An accidental encounter with a wild animal

Any scratch or bite of a wild animal can lead to rabies. Within 10-15 days, you have to disinfect the wound and then see a doctor immediately. Every hour you lose decreases your chances for survival. This infectious disease is almost impossible to treat if too much time passes.

Touching an electrified object

If you touch an object with the internal side of your palm, the electricity will make the fist squeeze and you won’t be able to jump away. In this situation, it is better to touch something with the back of the palm — this way, it’ll be easier to pull the hand away.

A big thunderstorm

The theory that says a bolt of lightning doesn’t strike the same spot twice is a misconception. The probability of the second strike is quite high, so try to stay further from the center of the storm (but don’t run). It’s best to lie down in some kind of a deep area because bolts of lightning usually hit higher places. Also, get rid of any metal items and your cell phone. If a flash of lightning is about to strike, you will sense metal in your mouth 3-4 seconds in advance and the hair on your body will start moving. Sit down, put your feet against each other and place your hands on your knees.

Crossing the road

If you’re crossing the road and you see bright sunlight on the windshield of a car, it is quite possible that the driver won’t see you. It’s better to let the car pass even if the rules say otherwise.

Getting lost in the forest

When the mushroom season starts, the number of people that get lost in the forest increases. If you realize that you’re lost and you have no idea where to go, you should look for water. Usually, this means you should go down (unless it’s a swamp, in which you should walk in the opposite direction). Also, pay attention to the birds: if some birds are flying high, they may be moving toward water and if they’re flying low, they’re flying from the water. In almost every situation, a path along some kind of water reserve will get you to a road. Once you’ve found a road, all you have to do is move toward civilization.

Jumping into water from high up

Always close your nose if you’re jumping into a body of water with your feet forward. This is because the water might have very dangerous microorganisms in it such as Naegleria fowleri. If they get into your nose with a lot of water, they can get into the brain and cause primary amoebic meningoencephalitis which leads to death in almost 100% of cases. But if you swallow these organisms, nothing will happen.

A diabetic patient losing consciousness

If a diabetic patient lost consciousness, you cannot inject insulin — it may kill them. Most of the time, a diabetic coma is caused by hypoglycemia (a lack of sugar) and insulin will only make the situation worse. What you have to do is call the ambulance and try to give the person a little bit of sugar — it will help a lot. But if it is hyperglycemia (too much sugar), just a bit more won’t make the situation much worse.

Bonus: the 5-second rule

We’ve all heard of (and may have even used) the rule that says the food that fell on the floor can still be picked up and eaten without endangering your health if it’s been less than 5 seconds. However, germs are not likely to follow this rule, according to multiple studies. Some scientists also agree that the risk is minimal but it doesn’t mean it’s completely safe.

Has anything like this happened to you or your relatives? What else can you recommend?

Illustrated by Yekaterina Ragozina for BrightSide.me